Security Council

Recognizing the steps that Haiti had taken towards stabilization, and noting with concern the delays in preparations for elections scheduled for later this year, the Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti until 15 October 2014, encouraging it to enhance further the Government’s ability to extend State authority throughout the country and promote good governance and the rule of law at all levels.

Welcoming the progress made towards the complete transfer of lead security responsibility in Afghanistan to the country’s Government, the Security Council today extended its authorization of the International Security Assistance Force until 31 December 2014.

On 8 October 2013, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) approved the deletion (delisting) of the entry specified below from the Al-Qaida Sanctions List.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Agshin Mehdiyev (Azerbaijan):

Appalled at the unacceptable and escalating violence and the death of more than 100,000 people in Syria and emphasizing that the humanitarian situation would deteriorate further in the absence of a political solution to the crisis, the Security Council today urged all parties to facilitate immediate humanitarian assistance to affected persons, including through safe and unhindered access to such populations in all areas under their control and across conflict lines.

The Security Council's work programme for October would include three open debates — on working methods, the Middle East and women, peace and security — as well as the first-ever high-level meeting on cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan said today as he assumed presidency of the 15-member body.

The Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) concerning Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities removed the name of the individual below from the Al-Qaida Sanctions List after concluding its consideration of a delisting request submitted through the Office of the Ombudsperson established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1904 (2009), and after considering the Comprehensive Report of the Ombudsperson on this delisting request.

The Security Council resolution on dismantling and eliminating Syria’s chemical weapons capabilities established a new norm ensuring that the use of such weapons by anyone anywhere constituted a threat to international peace and security, the 15-member body’s President for September said today.

The following Security Council press statement was issued on 27 September by Council President Gary Quinlan (Australia):

Deeply outraged by the use of chemical weapons on 21 August in a Damascus suburb, as concluded by a United Nations investigation team, the Security Council this evening endorsed the expeditious destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons programme, with inspections to begin by 1 October, and agreed that in the event of non-compliance, it would impose “Chapter VII” measures.